There's no such thing as B or C grade kites among professional kite manufacturers such as North or Cabrinha. If a kite doesn't cut it in terms of construction it's destroyed. I'm sure North can verify this as well. If they can't then they are openly admitting that they have no control over the production of their kites and I would recommend everyone to look for another brand.

It is stated that you bought this kite in May 2011. If this is true then the kite in question is not eligible for warranty as North only offers a 6 month warranty. Again, maybe you should look for a different brand. Cabrinha, for example, offers a 1 year warranty. This might tell you something about the quality of the North kites.

Is it KBA's fault that the kite produced by North was unsatisfactory and changed it's shape after only one year? The kite is not under warranty so why should anyone give you a new kite?

Not super super impressed with KBA post & as a minimum I would expecting KBA to provide a comment on North conclusions/position:"Just to reiterate: KBA, in Thailand, is NOT an official North dealer. North does not sell them gear, and any North gear that they have is unauthorized, almost certainly flawed, and will not be approved for warranty repair or replacement. They have somehow found a way to get B and C grade factory rejects or knock-offs from a different factory"

Probably North didn´t have a legal responsability to replace that kite but they did man up and took the right step.

Also wondering what would be Flysurfer business position, especially as they see themselves as a premium brand, with KBA after they know about North conclusions. I know what I would do...

There's no such thing as B or C grade kites among professional kite manufacturers such as North or Cabrinha. If a kite doesn't cut it in terms of construction it's destroyed. I'm sure North can verify this as well. If they can't then they are openly admitting that they have no control over the production of their kites and I would recommend everyone to look for another brand.

Kites are expensive things, especially compared to the earnings of the factory workers who put them together. There's always going to be a temptation to steal from the reject bin. This problem faces any business that relies on cheap overseas labour. Also, there's also a risk that rejected kites will find their way into "legitimate" shipments, either due to human error or because the factory management doesn't want to eat the cost (in material and manpower) of an unsaleable product. If a few defective kites slip through the QC net, it's not an indication that North have "no control over the production of their kites"... merely that they employ people, and people often make mistakes or behave dishonestly.

Dan's advice is spot-on, and applies to consumers and dealers alike:

Dan-at-North wrote:

I understand that you want to save money, but realize that if your cheaper kite does not come with a serial number and a receipt from an authorized dealer, it is not only un-warranteeable, but it is also most probably a factory second with some sort of flaw that will leave you with a costly or even, as in this case, impossible repair.

I don't doubt that this was "how the kite came from the factory"... the question is, did it come out of the front door or the back door?

There's no such thing as B or C grade kites among professional kite manufacturers such as North or Cabrinha. If a kite doesn't cut it in terms of construction it's destroyed. I'm sure North can verify this as well. If they can't then they are openly admitting that they have no control over the production of their kites and I would recommend everyone to look for another brand.

Kites are expensive things, especially compared to the earnings of the factory workers who put them together. There's always going to be a temptation to steal from the reject bin. This problem faces any business that relies on cheap overseas labour. Also, there's also a risk that rejected kites will find their way into "legitimate" shipments, either due to human error or because the factory management doesn't want to eat the cost (in material and manpower) of an unsaleable product. If a few defective kites slip through the QC net, it's not an indication that North have "no control over the production of their kites"... merely that they employ people, and people often make mistakes or behave dishonestly.

Dan's advice is spot-on, and applies to consumers and dealers alike:

Dan-at-North wrote:

I understand that you want to save money, but realize that if your cheaper kite does not come with a serial number and a receipt from an authorized dealer, it is not only un-warranteeable, but it is also most probably a factory second with some sort of flaw that will leave you with a costly or even, as in this case, impossible repair.

I don't doubt that this was "how the kite came from the factory"... the question is, did it come out of the front door or the back door?[/quote]

So North has no responsibility for the disposal of the defective kites they make?

Just oh well not our fault a defective kite has hit the market we did all we could to tell you to look for a serial number and a only buy from authorized dealers!

Raam, this is also not warranty case for your company? Another blackmailer?

As for the KBA I have recieved an email from raam, saying my kite only has a small problem and they willl pay to get it sewn. The kite has already been sewn because I do not have the money to buy or rent while this is being resolved. There is still a buldge in the LE underneath and the many people I asked to look at it felt it was a warranty issue. KBA said it would not after seeing the photo only posted on here and 2 more by email.

They have offered to pay for the sewing and to send me a t-shirt.

There is still no mention of the cut serial number.

I am waiting to hear back from them after explaining this is not good enough .

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